Orange Business Services and Argyll Telecom have teamed up to produce communications devices to help lone workers protect themselves - and their companies, by helping them comply with health and safety legislation.
To mark the partnership, the two firms launched a range of safety-related devices for workers out alone in the field, with the technology provided by Argyll and the airtime from Orange. The devices, essentially variations on existing combined mobile phone and GPS locator units, are used for communication, discreet alert activation, verbal and GPS location recording, and time-at-risk monitoring.
One such device looks like an ID card, but contains mobile phone technology to allow the lone worker to speak to a control room. Another is a waterproof armband which relays location and other information back to a control centre.
Leeds City Council has given the Argyll devices with Orange services to Neighbourhood Wardens for use during their patrols.
"New technologies are leading to changes in working practices which means more people are working alone at least part of the time either at customer sites, out in the field or in small premises," said Neil Laidler, vice president of business services at Orange UK, in a statement.
"Our research identifies a large number of companies who do not have the systems in place to protect all their lone workers and comply with current and new legislation," he said.
Research from Orange has shown that 35 per cent of public sector organisations and 29 per cent of private sector companies report more than one incident of verbal or physical abuse against such workers every month.
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